Combination tag and seal



June 2, 1942- M. RUBINOFF N 2,284,922

COMBINATION TAG AND SEAL Filed July 22, 1940 INVENTOR BY 1 72M Rah/1W7 ATTORNEY Patented June 2, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE* 2,284,922 COMBINATION. TAG AND SEAL Mark Rubinoif, New York, N. Y. Application July 22, 1940, Serial No. 346,873

' 3 Claims.

This invention relates to non-removable tags. and more particularly refers to improvements in tags adapted to be attached to articles of mer chandise in such a manner that once attached, a tag cannot be removed without breakage or detection.

In a patent entitled Sealed tags, No. 2,178,810, issued to me November 7, 1939, and resissued June 4, 1940, No. Re. 21,477, I have described and claimed a tag provided with a special seal permanently attached thereto, said seal forming a shallow closed chamber provided with an opening through which may be inserted the terminals of a loop serving as permanent anchors for said loop; the result being a combination tag and loop in which the loop cannot be removed without destroying either the loop or the seal. g

The seal forming part of the device described in said patent consists of a disk embossed to form a relatively shallow recess, said disk being adapted to be applied directly against the surface of, and secured to the tag, forming an enclosure therewith. The disk is secured to the tag by forcing through the tag prongs formed integral with the disk, and bending the prongs against the surface of the tag opposite to that against which the seal is applied. The prongs are preferably scored, so that once bent against the reverse surface of the tag, they cannot be unbent without breaking them.

However, I have found that the scoring of the prongs to a certain extent weakens them so that some wastage results when the seals are applied to the tags; furthermore, if the bent prongs are left exposed theydetract from the appear- I ance of the tag, and if a covering is applied thereto, such as a paper disk or the like, the cost of production is increased, without any particular advantage in the nature of reinforcement of the structure being obtained.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a sealed tag of a novel and improved construction, in which the seal is positively locked in position, in a manner offering no possibility of reaching or tampering with the locking means.

Another object is to provide, in a sealed tag, a self-locking seal adapted to be permanently and positively attached to the tag, in a manner defying any attempt at tampering without defacement or detection, said seal forming a closed chamber adapted to receive and interlock with the anchoring terminals of an attaching loop.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will more fully appear as the description proceeds, and will be set forth and claimed in the appended claims.

the loop terminals Within the seal chamber;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the two parts composing the seal about to be applied to the tag;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the locking member forming part of the seal shown in Figs. 1 to 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan'view of a seal embodying my invention in an alternative form; Fig. 6 is a side view in elevation of said seal applied in position; and

Fig. '7 is a top plan view of a sealed tag embodying the inventiomshowing one terminal of the loop within the seal and one outside the seal.

Referring to the drawing, Ill designates a tag equipped with a seal, composed of a female member I! and a male member l2, in the case illustrated the female member being the one recessed to form a sealchamber and the male member being the locking member.

. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, the male member is in the form of a disk l2, having a circumferential series of upturned prongs H3. The female member is a disk ll recessed to form a shallow chamber I4 and having a peripheral flange curled to form a beaded annular rim I5 which is partly open to leave an annular slotted passage I6 onthe lower face of the female member, said slotted passage being relatively narrow and having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the circumferential series of prongs I3 in the male member.

The prongs l3 of the male member can pierce the tag when pressed against said tag to penetrate annular slot 16 within the annular chamber formed by the beaded rim 15 of the female member.

When the two members composing the seal, with the tag inserted therebetween, are pressed together, the prongs l3 after entering annular slot l6 will be caused to curl outwardly by the curved wall of the beaded rim [5, as Fig. 3 clearly shows, the result being that said prongs will curl within the beaded rim and positively lock the two members in position. Once the two members have thus been locked together it is practically impossible to pry them apart without breaking of the seal chamber I4 is formed with one or two small openings I! through which the terminals I9 of the loop can be inserted to be permanently retained within the chamber, as will be understood.

In use, one of the terminals is inserted within the seal chamber and then the string is passed through an opening or buttonhole in the garment or other article to which the sealed tag is to be attached.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the male member 2! and the female member 22 are connected by a bendable neck portion 23, which, when bent as shown in Fig. 6, causes the prongs 24 of the male member to exactly register with slot 25 of the beaded peripheral portion 2'5 of the female member. The seal is secured in position by pressing the two members together, as previously explained,

The wall of the seal chamber is also in this case formed with one or two openings 21 for the insertion of the loop terminals.

It will be observed that the locking prongs are entirely concealed from view so that it is virtually impossible to take the seal apart without breaking it.

The form of the seal may be different from those shown and minor details of construction may likewise vary from those shown without departing from the inventive idea. The drawing should, therefore, be understood as being intended for illustrative purposes only and not in a limiting sense.

I, accordingly, reserve the right to carry my invention into practice in all those ways and manners which may enter, fairly, into the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: a

1. A device of the character described comprising a sheet and a seal permanently attached thereto, said seal comprising a disk recessed to form a relatively shallow chamber having at least one opening in its wall adapted for the insertion of a fastening device therethrough, said disk abutting directly against one of the surfaces of said sheet, and a locking disk therefor, abutting against the opposite surface, one of said disks having a partly open beaded marginal chamber, the other disk having prongs bent at right angles to the body thereof, said prongs passing through said sheet and extending in curled form within said beaded chamber, interlocking therewith, thereby providing a positively non-releasable connection between said two disks and between the seal jointly formed by them, and said sheet.

2. A device of the character described comprising a sheet and a seal permanently attached thereto, said seal comprising a disk recessed to form a relatively shallow chamber having at least one opening in its wall adapted for the insertion of a fastening device therethrough, said disk abutting directly against one of the surfaces of said sheet, the marginal portion of said disk being curled to form a partly open peripheral beaded chamber, and a locking disk therefor, abutting against the opposite surface of said sheet, the latter disk having prongs bent at right angles to the body thereof, said prongs passing through said sheet and extending in curled form Within said beaded chamber, interlocking therewith, thereby providing a positively non-releasable connection between said two disks and between the seal jointly formed by them, and said sheet.

3. A device of the character described comprising a sheet and a seal permanently attached thereto, said seal comprising a disk recessed to form a relatively shallow chamber having at least one opening in its wall adapted for the insertion of a fastening device therethrough, said disk abutting directly against one of the surfaces of said sheet, the marginal portion of said disk being curled to form a partly open peripheral beaded chamber, and a locking disk extension integral with and reversely bent from said disk, abutting against the opposite surface of said sheet, said extension having prongs bent at right angles to the body thereof, said prongs passing through said sheet and extending in curled form within said beaded chamber, interlocking therewith, thereby providing a positively non-releasable connection between said disk and locking disk extension and between the seal jointly formed by them, and said sheet.

MARK RUBINOFF. 

